TriCopter Scrap Build

[Toolman]

By turning my Cyclics down around 10 percent and reduce expo has improved the cyclic feel quite a bit. The tail will hold ok in backward flight, but doing a rapid half piro (like a stall turn) is unpredictable. It's momentum means it doesn’t stop!

Any way More Flight Vids (Best Viewed in High Def & Full Screen)

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVXUkxj02sQ"]YouTube - Test Flight03.mp4[/ame]

This one contains an attempt at a Loop & some backward flight.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcfepzCarHE"]YouTube - Tri-Copter - First attempt at a Loop.[/ame]

Finally I have learned to check the grub screws on those Emax motors regularly, when on came loose in Flight!



These come with two grub screws opposite to each other, I would recommend drill & tapping a New hole at 90 degrees. And fit longer grub screws so they don't strip.

Tim.

[tiddler]

That's a mighty impressive collection of scrap you've created there.
Flies good as well

[est1976]

nice, I intend to build a tri/quad for fpv use, is it possible to use a fbl system like the beastx on a tri? how does your handle hands off? like a co-axial heli I assume?

[ddracer]

I was thinking the same thing. But my only worry would be if you whould have enough flexibility with the programinig on a FLB controller. From what has been said it looks like there is a fair bit of tweeking of individual sensor gains. That being said it's got to be worth a try.

[Toolman]

The tricopter is just like a fixed pitch heli to fly, I would call it neutral stability.
Not like a coaxial really, which are pretty stable.
What the gyros do is to damp out the rapid changes cased by gusts, changes in torque as you apply power etc.
If you are in a hover say, you still have to make small corrections exactly like you would for a normal heli.

If you want to have an active stabilising system you would need something like the Flymentor system that has ground attitude sensors etc. I have heard of these working well in tricopters.
Fast Lad Performance
This is quite cheap actually at around £130.

My setup using a Cyclock & two CSM gyros is exactly the same as the original CSM flybarless setup people were using a few years back, so I guess that fbl systems would work as a tricopter controller.

I have been tempted to buy either an Align 3G kit for my Trex500 & give that a go in the tricopter, or a BeastX. I will only do this if I decide I want to try fbl for other reasons. If you already have a spare fbl system, definitely give it a go.

As for the programming, the main thing is to be able to set the ratio between Collective (throttle in this case) and cyclic throws, and overall travel limits (so that the speed controls both arm & reach full power). Other than the gains, I haven’t played round with any of the more exotic gyro parameters yet, things like delay.
I would do a search online to see if anyone has had success using any of the modern fbl systems on a tricopter.

My current setup is quite expensive if you were going to buy from New (In my case, apart from the Cyclock I had all the rest sitting around though).
If you want to go for low cost, what people are doing is to buy those cheap 401 clone gyros form HK or Giant Cods.
Theses are around £10 each so for £40 you would be setup. Using a 3-off gyros at 120 degrees (inline with the arms), plus one for the tail.
I have not flown this configuration, so can’t comment on how well it works.

Tim.